# Sour Ales / Sour Beer fans?



## Max_Power (Sep 9, 2010)

I have recently (this past summer) discovered these delicious brews, and was looking to find some other sour fans that might have some suggestions. 

Tried one at a bar, Monk's Cafe, and absolutely loved it. I have since tried a few others and would like to keep trying more.

My favorite has been Petrus Aged Pale ale, though it it very tough to find locally. Rodenbach I can find easily, but it is not nearly as tasty as the Petrus. 

So.... anone have any suggestions of brews I should keep an eye out for?


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## Brettanomyces (Jul 12, 2012)

You rang? My break at work is over just as I see this, but I'll post back later this evening.


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## Max_Power (Sep 9, 2010)

Brettanomyces said:


> You rang? My break at work is over just as I see this, but I'll post back later this evening.


Hmmm.... I had a feeling you'd pop in here.:thumb:


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## AStateJB (Oct 13, 2011)

I had some Liefmans Goudenband the other night and it was incredible! Tasted like red wine.


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## cartey (Jul 28, 2011)

Hells yeah! Sour ale lovers! I thought I'd never meet another!
The first ale that got me all started in the search of other similar style is Douchesse de Bourgogne. Sour and fruity, near lambic style, yet packing a lot of floral notes.









Then my second favorite, I found Goose Island Brewery's Matilda. Much lower abv, which makes it easy drinking. It's more refreshing and elegant, and less in-your-face fruit.









And then when I visited a B&M one day the owner recommended me Rodenbach, and said this is one of the earliest, most classic/iconic sour ale. I don't remember exactly how it tasted, but it was delicious too!


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## GoJohnnyGo (Nov 19, 2011)

I've never heard of such things. What would I look for to know that I'm buying a sour ale? Would it say it on the label? One above just says Belgian Style. This sounds awesome-O


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## jurgenph (Jun 29, 2011)

i'm not sure if any of them get imported to the US, but try to see if you can find Geuze style beers.

Gueuze - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

J.


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## Cigar Noob (May 22, 2011)

in before beerindex and Ian! 

The funny part is I was googling this today (google; sour beer and click on thebrewingnetwork forum). I plan on picking some up at the liquor store and wanted some ideas because they don't make it easy and have an area for "sour beers". Just one for Lambics and that only has the one main brand. I found some brewer forum with some great ideas. New Belgium La follie was one of them. Jolly Pumpkin brewery seemed to be highly recommended. Monk's Cafe was another.

Looking forward to some suggestions that are semi-redily available and don't require expensive mail ordering.


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## The_Chosen_One (Aug 18, 2012)

I second the Douchess de Bourgogne it's one of my favorite beers in general. I've had one Matilda from a trade and loved it but sadly it's not available around here.


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## HoserX (Aug 17, 2012)

Thanks Chris for starting this thread, and Nick I was hoping (and expecting) you to chime in. I've just discovered Belgium beers this past summer and have fallen hopelessly in love. Lambics and sours are next.


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## Max_Power (Sep 9, 2010)

Monk's Cafe was great. I have a few local stores attempting to stock that for me.

New Belgium & Jolly Pumpkin don't seeem to have any distro around me as far as I know, but I've read about both.



Cigar Noob said:


> in before beerindex and Ian!
> 
> The funny part is I was googling this today (google; sour beer and click on thebrewingnetwork forum). I plan on picking some up at the liquor store and wanted some ideas because they don't make it easy and have an area for "sour beers". Just one for Lambics and that only has the one main brand. I found some brewer forum with some great ideas. New Belgium La follie was one of them. Jolly Pumpkin brewery seemed to be highly recommended. Monk's Cafe was another.
> 
> Looking forward to some suggestions that are semi-redily available and don't require expensive mail ordering.


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## mpls (Sep 7, 2012)

I had the Rodenbach Grand Cru this past weekend and thought it was excellent.


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## Max_Power (Sep 9, 2010)

HoserX said:


> Thanks Chris for starting this thread, and Nick I was hoping (and expecting) you to chime in. I've just discovered Belgium beers this past summer and have fallen hopelessly in love. Lambics and sours are next.


I've been in love with Belgian beers for a while; Trappist ales & Delirium etc; but it was also just this past summer I found the sours and now there's no turning back.


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## cartey (Jul 28, 2011)

Max_Power said:


> I've been in love with Belgian beers for a while; Trappist ales & Delirium etc; but it was also just this past summer *I found the sours and now there's no turning back.*


So true... so true...
Now, whenever I go to a beer pub, I just grab the waiter/ress if there's any sour ale. A good way to expand your sour ale horizon.


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## HIM (Sep 12, 2012)

+1 for the Jolly Pumpkin. St. Somewhere, Russian River, and Funky Buddha are also really good. I doubt you can find RR in Rhode Island but you might be able to get St. Somewhere and Funky Buddha since they are made in Florida, but thats a stretch too. Its not in season anymore but look for DFH Festina Peche, some dont like it but I love the stuff. Welcome to the wild world of sours, if your really feelin ballsy look up pictures of Brett and Lacto pellicles :thumb:


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## mpls (Sep 7, 2012)

I don't have too many sours in my small collection, but here they are. I actually even forgot about a couple of em...


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## beerindex (Sep 10, 2012)

Monk's means you are in Philly. This means you should have access to Russian River and Lost Abbey. From Russian River, you definitely want Supplication, though Consecration and Temptation are also worth having. From Lost Abbey, any of their sours except CableCar are great, and Cable Car doesn't leave California. Rumor has it another batch of Duck Duck Gooze is coming, and it is one of the best beers ever made. Cuvee d'Tomme and Framboise de Amarosa should be available now, and are amazing. 

Also worthwhile is anything from Cantillon, 3 Fontenein, or De Cams. 

I'd have other suggestions, but most great sours are one-off releases and don't ship across state lines except through trades.


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## Brettanomyces (Jul 12, 2012)

Damn, it's been a while. Sorry for the long delay. So looking at what you've tried so far, you're definitely a fan of the western Flanders style Oude Bruin ales. The regional characteristics are perhaps not as strong as they used to be, but there are still strong similarities in the beers of each region of Belgium and France. So one approach to take, is to look into what you can find from other breweries like Rodenbach, De Struise, De Dolle, places like that. Liefmann's Goudenbrand is pretty good, too. Since it seems like there are a lot of beers I get in my area, that you can't get in yours, I may have difficulty recommending some of the American beers brewed in this style. I'd be on the lookout for Goose Island's Madame Rose and Ommegang's Zuur. Both ought to be available in your area.

Moving out from that style, there are many other types of sour ales to try. The eastern region of Flanders turns our a Red version of the ales above. It's not as sweet, so there's more balance towards the sour notes, and I think it can be a little harsh if not done really well. Many people like this style, but it's not my favorite. Then there is the king of sour ales, lambic. Lambic comes in many forms, sometimes a straight aged lambic, sometimes it's a blend of young & old vintages (called gueuze), sometimes old and backsweetened (faro), and sometimes fermented with fruit, where the name of the fruit often takes a prominent space on the label. There are other ales that have the critters that make beers sour and funky play a minor role. Old stock ales, some saisons, and other beers like that often have wild yeasts (brettanomyces and others) do some fermentation. And there are examples outside of Belgium, as in the Gose and Berliner Weisse styles from Germany, and some of the all Brett fermented ales that are becoming popular in the US.

OK, so what to do with all of this? I'd perhaps try one or two in each style and see what you like. Of course, like anything else, as you're exploring, your tastes will change rapidly, but that's OK. We've more or less covered the brown ales. I'd try a Flemish Red. Get a Rodenbach Gran Cru if you can, but there are others. In terms of lambic, I'd look for Drie Foneinen, Tilquin, Cantillon, and other such breweries/blenders. Try a couple different ones. For beers with something less than a full-on sour/funk attack, Fantome is great, and they showcase different approaches to the sour ale styles. Orval uses brett, but no other bugs, for just a hint of funkiness. For the American approach, anything by Jolly Pumpkin or the Bruery is worth trying, and Goose Island makes a few good ones (Sophie, Mathilda, Juliet).

There are so many others, and I don't know what's in your area, so ask if you see something that looks interesting. If I think of other good ones (and really, this is all just off the top of my head, so I know I'm missing a ton), I'll post back again. Cheers!


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## mpls (Sep 7, 2012)

Ha, you got all of that? Cliff notes - lots of Sh*t out there and these guys have tried it all...


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## android (Feb 27, 2012)

like Nick and Caleb said, Cantillon or Drie Fontinen are benchmarks from Belgium.

someone else mentioned New Belgium's La Folie... that is fairly widely available and has a really strong sourness to it (at least it did last time i tried it), but it's pretty solid. I'll echo Jolly Pumpkin, they have some good sours... 

love me a good sour beer!

edit: forgot to add that Ithaca Brewing and Captain Lawrence are both purported to have pretty solid sour beer offerings too. I personally haven't tried them, only because they aren't available near me.


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## Brettanomyces (Jul 12, 2012)

Damn, thanks for the RG orgy, guys! Really, though, all this is just the tip of the iceberg. Keep posting with what you guys see and try, and we can keep the suggestions and info rolling.

So Android, do you brew sours, too?


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## Max_Power (Sep 9, 2010)

Brettanomyces said:


> Damn, thanks for the RG orgy, guys! Really, though, all this is just the tip of the iceberg. Keep posting with what you guys see and try, and we can keep the suggestions and info rolling.
> 
> So Android, do you brew sours, too?


Do you home brew sours Nick?

If I could brew these at home, this is something that could help me make the jump into home brewing.


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## Brettanomyces (Jul 12, 2012)

Max_Power said:


> Do you home brew sours Nick?
> 
> If I could brew these at home, this is something that could help me make the jump into home brewing.


Absolutely. Anything other than lambics aren't much more difficult than "standard" beers. Sometimes you have to be patient, but there are several good ways to approach sour brewing. Not all of them take years for the beer to sour properly, but the best methods do.

Oh, I almost forgot. Make the jump!


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## HIM (Sep 12, 2012)

I just bottled my first sour yesterday. It's a nice sour and tart rhubarb Berliner Weiss. I figured I'd show you a pic of what wild beers look like before they reach your pint glass. This is a pic of a lactobacillus bacteria pellicle. I cultured the bugs from barley husk enjoy!!

View attachment 72665
View attachment 72666


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## Brettanomyces (Jul 12, 2012)

Awesome. Pellicles are such freaky looking things.


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## HIM (Sep 12, 2012)

Beautiful and gross all in one lol


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## HoserX (Aug 17, 2012)

I am hooked up for the weekend. Thanks guys for mentioning the Jolly Pumpkin, I actually forgot they are right in my back yard.

stopped at lunch and picked up Baudelaire Beer Saison, Madrugada Obscura Dark Stout, And Bam Biere Farmhouse Ale. Oh, and of course the correct glass to drink them in.

Again, thanks for starting this thread.


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## Cigar Noob (May 22, 2011)

Brettanomyces said:


> Damn, thanks for the RG orgy, guys! Really, though, all this is just the tip of the iceberg.


We all know how "just the tip" usually works out..... Be careful fellas.


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## Max_Power (Sep 9, 2010)

Tried Sam Adams stony brook red tonight, and I'm very impressed. Better to my palate than Rodenbach, but not as awesome as Petrus.


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## Brettanomyces (Jul 12, 2012)

Cigar Noob said:


> We all know how "just the tip" usually works out..... Be careful fellas.


Ha! I was thinking about that. I figured if anyone found the words "orgy" and "just the tip" in the same sentence, and would make a joke about it, it would be you. Well done. You just might have to get more RG for bad jokes that I love.

Or, maybe you just meant that sour beers are one more way to sink time and money, chasing rare stuff that tastes good. Well, that's all too true as well. 

I just had one of these this past week. I laid it down last December, and it had been aging since then. It was just about perfect in the balance between maltiness and sourness. This is the kind of beer that made me wish I was rich, so I could drink it every day. Sadly, I get a few each year.


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## Reino (Sep 13, 2010)

Very little previous experience here but over the past 2 months i have picked up 6 Saint Arnold Boiler Room's. I liked the name! Finally got to try one, was not what I expected at all. 
Look at part of the label and it says "sessionable wheat beer". No experience with wheats so whatever, I taste sour and notice it paired very nicely with my cigar in that it didn't alter my pallet while smoking the cigar. It seemed to cleanse it after each Puff. SO had to read the whole label.... Crisp, Sour and refreshing. It sure was. 
Anyway will be hunting down some other sours to try with cigars and see if I experience the same.
It was the best pairing of any liquid I have had with cigars for my pallet.
Am I tripping or anyone else experience this?


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## mpls (Sep 7, 2012)

Talk about a blast from the past seeing this thread up and about. Funny, I was pretty unfamiliar with sours when this thread first came up, and while I'm no expert I certainly have and drink my fair share nowadays.

The beer you purchased is a Berliner Weiss, basically a very light (alcohol can be as low as 2.5-4.5%), bubbly (almost champagne esque), and tart. I personally find them very refreshing in the summer, and also enjoy them with a smoke. You will find this category of sours to be much more tame than some of the others, such as a wild ale.


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## Reino (Sep 13, 2010)

Yes it was light for sure, bubbly and tart. Will have to find something stronger for sure but it did go nicely with the stick. Looking forward to hunting these down and reading this thread again.
It is hot and humid here so it fits for the weather. nothing wrong with a tame thread for this FOG. thanks for the info.


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## MDSPHOTO (Sep 10, 2013)

The only craft beers Ive poured down the drain are sour farmhouse ales. I just don't like those flavors in my beers.


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## Bubb (May 28, 2014)

The most sour beer I have ever had was this one.






about popped my sockes off.:faint:


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